Creative Critics Project
John Law – Athenaeum – Monday 22nd May 2017
As we entered the Athenaeum, I felt a sense of brightness as if I stepped into an older era like the Victorians. The
detail, design and the patterns came together. Although the painting was dull, it suited the style of building. The way
the floor tiles were, made me think I was on a giant chess board from ‘Harry Potter and the philosopher’s Stone’ –
my own version of wizard’s chess!
The famous pianist performed pieces like ‘when the wind whispers’ and ‘summertime’. 30 variations followed that
were sandwiched between an opening and a closing. They consisted of circles containing black, white, blue and
yellow that shrank and grew. This was illuminating and very trippy!
My emotions weren’t very positive as the music went on for approximately an hour and a half. The music didn’t have
a large effect on me as it sounded mainly the same the whole time. It made me feel a bit uninterested and
somewhat tired.
Despite the negative comments, the way he moved his feet, hands and neck were exceptional! He closed his eyes as
he performed which was astonishing. His fingers were like flashes of lightning! After the closing, we all stood to
applause. I would recommend it for adults but possibly not again for children.
By Natasha, aged 10
On Monday 22nd May, I went to the Athenaeum. It had pink, white and green walls and there were seven
chandeliers. The pianist was John Law. His hands were so fast; the way they crossed over was unbelievable. It was
astonishing. He had clearly been practising for ages. I think he must have been practising since he was four years old.
He played two songs. The first one was called ‘what the wind whispered’ and the second was ‘summertime’. He was
so good but it did get a little bit boring. The screen that had visuals on was superb.
There were 30 variations and it was on the screen. On the screen it had circles, squares and lines. He did have lots of
lights on his piano and it was a very dark room, almost creepy.
By Phoebe, aged 9
Creative Critics Project
John Law – Athenaeum – Monday 22nd May 2017
On Monday, I went to the Athenaeum to watch John Law; Goldberg Variations. When I arrived, I was amazing by the
decorations and how old-fashioned it was – just glamorous. The tiles on the floor looked so realistic you could have
played chess/draughts on them. We were served a nice cold drink and prepared by getting in the mood.
Once I stepped into the performance room, I was flabbergasted. My mouth fell open for about 30 seconds. We sat
in red velvet chairs and they were flexible and well-finished. The stage was made out of solid wood and there was a
tall, elegant and firm black piance. John Law was dressed in an ostentatious suit with a type of hiking boots.
The moment John Law hit his first note, I thought it was so emotional. Tears started dripping down my cheek. John
Law used his whole body whilst he was playing. He had different facial expressions and he used his shoulder a lot, he
even played with his eyes closed!
Soon it came near to the end and a slideshow of these unbelievable shapes and lines came up. There were 30
variations of them. It took a long time and so it did get a little boring. If I went again, I would hope they made it a
little shorted as I was too long for children.
By Karina, aged 10
On Monday 22nd May, All Saints’ CEVA Primary went to the Bury Festival at the Athenaeum. When Year 5 entered, I
found the performance hall dull. My first thought was that the stage was old and battered yet the chandeliers looked
beautiful. On the stage sat a lonely piano.
The atmosphere was calm, with highs and lows. I was very impressed by John Law’s amazing skills on the piano. The
music was boring and some people nearly fell asleep. The crowd were quiet.
I felt different emotions when listening to the pianist, such as happy, sad and relaxed. It made you feel like you were
falling into a bright, black hole. While for other, it made people want to go to sleep.
It was clam and peaceful because of the type of music on the piano. Some of the class thought about flowers and
bright colours. He fingers whizzed away on the keys.
By Samrina, aged 10
Creative Critics Project
John Law – Athenaeum – Monday 22nd May 2017
On Monday, I went to the Athenaeum in Bury to see John Law play his jazz version of Back’s Goldberg variations. As
soon as I entered, the full impressiveness of the building dawned on me.
I entered a ballroom with amazing chandeliers and steps like the one in Beauty and the Beast. In the middle, was a
magnificent black, glossy grand piano. As John law entered in his black suit, the room fell silent as if a spell had been
cast upon us…
First, he played a couple of pieces of his own (in the summertime and when the wind blows) and when I closed my
eyes, a picture formed in my mind. For example, I thought of a lonely days filled with broken friendships.
Next, the lights dimmed and a projector came on, filling the room with a strange shadow. The opening was a
humming noise with a hypnotising picture controlling by the VJ, David Daniels. Once the variations started, John Law
hunched his shoulders and moved his whole body as he began to play. There were many crescendos and
Diminuendos as the tempo varied.
Finally, it ended. To be honest, I think it was meant to be targeted for over 16 years olds because I found it difficult
to sit still and the light hurt my eyes. Other than that, I enjoyed it. I would recommend this to any old piano players
looking for tips. To improve, I would have us all seeing his hands on the screen so see how quickly they moved to the
tempo.
By Bethany, aged 10
On 22nd May 2017, Year 5 went to the Athenaeum to see John Law the pianist. He played the Goldberg variations.
We entered the magnificent ballroom and saw six chandeliers. The piano was black with glossy polish to make it
shine. My opinion is that the variations were too long and boring.
You could hear John Law playing improvisations. While he was playing, they had a screen up with lines and shapes.
They had 30 variations. The closing was a bit long and tiring.
By Alex, aged 10
On Monday 22nd May, Year 5 from All Saints’ School went to the Athenaeum for their second Creative Critics
performance. They got front seats and it was a piano player named John Law. He played the piano for an hour and a
half – some of it with his eyes closed. The first thing Year 5 saw was an opening video with a projector broadcasting
images to suit the music. The music that John Law played was fast, sad and jolly.
By Nikola, aged 10
Creative Critics Project
John Law – Athenaeum – Monday 22nd May 2017
On Monday 22nd May, a selection of Year 5 went to see John Law play his grand piano at the Athenaeum. Firstly, we
went down to the ballroom and sat on our seats which were reserved. Then, the VJ projected animated the opening.
John Law was playing the piano at the same time. The floor was so realistic that I could have played chess.
Next, John Law played the Goldberg variations which went up to number 30. I would have rather watched 10 or 15
variations instead of all 30. It started to get a little boring for all of us.
When it ended, John Law put the closing up and there was a note that he played for nearly a whole minute. The
closing was so colourful that the colours were yellow, green, black and blue. The whole thing was really interesting.
The projector was so small and when the video came up, there were different kinds of shapes. It made me think of
an eye when the circles came up.
Miftahul, aged 9
The lights grew dark, the chandeliers disappeared and the magic started. On this sparkling Monday, year 5 travelled
to the dreamy Athenaeum where music came alive; a breath-taking experience. It was so magnificent that no words
can explain with this wonderful piece of art.
As the black, sleek classical piano opened, the tension filled me right up the brim. All the thoughts twirled as a
hurricane in my mind. The lights dimmed and all of John Law’s thought went thought his shoulders, glided down his
arms and landed on his fingertips, which frolicked on the keys like autumn leaves gliding on the air.
The beautifully carved pillars and spotless mirrors gave the performance a classic and original vibe. The tempo and
tone each had a delicate action of its own on the screen. The music was living on the bright screen with bodies that
appeared and disappeared with every note. The room seemed to whisper with the music. The black and white
checkers board floor winked in the spot light with delight.
I thoroughly enjoyed every note and for every unique song there was a different story. He possessed every key that
he played and expressed all his emotions through the piece. I really enjoyed it too but as I’ve noticed, other people
thought it was slightly too long. I think they could but out a couple of variations and add more tension to replace
them. Everyone ought to go and see his magnificent performance.
By Bianca aged 10
Creative Critics Project
John Law – Athenaeum – Monday 22nd May 2017
On Monday 22nd May, I and my hyped class travelled to the athenaeum. I would definitely recommend it for young
people but it did make me sleep but it was also calming when they used the radiant colours on the board and they
supplied us with velvet chairs.
The variations were good but I incline to see the illuminations glowing on the board. I would make the seats taller or
I would make the booster seats taller. I would also make the boosters comfier because sitting on plastic for an hour
and a half was not comfy.
The closing was brilliant but bewildering because of all the bright lights and vibrant colours on the board and it made
me feel like I was falling down a black hole. I felt that way because it was too bright and there were circles flying at
your face for five minutes. The music was like a herd of music notes bouncing around me. His hands whizzed.
By Noah aged 10
Creative Critics Project
John Law – Athenaeum – Monday 22nd May 2017
On the Monday 22nd May 2017, I and Year 5 from All Saint’s School from Newmarket went to the Athenaeum to
watch John Law playing the Goldberg Variations by JS Bach. John Law was about 50 and around 5 foot 10.
I heard people talking, sneezing, chair squeaking and the sound of the piano playing some low notes, some hight
notes, some quick, some slow. “When the Wind Whispered” was a very good tune for any age.
After a bit, I got a bit bored and started to fall asleep because of the projector which felt like it was going to
hypnotize me. At one point I felt a huge breeze.
I think the meaning of this was to show that you don’t need to have multiple instruments or singers. You can make
anything possible even by yourself and you don’t need anyone to make your dreams come true, just like John Law.
It could be improved by letting us have a break and drink and chat and letting us see his fingers moving because only
some of us could see this. You should have let us all see how quick they were.
By Liam aged 10
Creative Critics Project
John Law – Athenaeum – Monday 22nd May 2017
As the door clicked open, we stepped inside the dull coloured ballroom. We had just arrived at the Athenaeum, left
our coats in a room and then we stepped into the old, horrible ballroom.
In a few minutes, which felt like hours and hours, the show started. At first he played three of his own songs which,
for me, was the only satisfactory bit. After his own songs and improvisations he started the tedious Goldberg
Variations.
There were 30 variations! It was the most boring event that has ever happened to me and I would have rather
jumped off a cliff than go through that again, although I give him credit for his fingers whizzing on the piano so
extremely fast. I was very relieved when we finally left.
By Philip aged 10
Creative Critics Project
John Law – Athenaeum – Monday 22nd May 2017
The Athenaeum is a breath-taking building that’s full of talent and history, but the only flaw was that the colours of
the ballroom were a bit bland. I wasn’t a fan of the red light in the background. Year 5 had reserved seats which
made us feel very special, although I think that they should think about where you place the children because I
couldn’t fully experience the performance.
My mind was blown when John Law was playing the improvisation (when someone makes it up as they go along). It
was crazy to think that he was making it up because it sounded as if he had been practicing for weeks. That’s how
good it was!
The opening was extravagant at first, but then it got really tedious because the screen was too slow, calm and bland.
I did thoroughly enjo the opening but at some parts it got too slow for my liking so I didn’t enjoy it as much as
possible.
30 variations is too much for me. It felt like time was moving in slow-motion. I think that instead of 30 variations
John Law should play 10 or 15 variations instead to make it less unbearable.
The closing was very similar to the opening, but at the end there was a sigh of relief from some of the children. I
would recommend this performance to adults who like classical music and can sit still for a long time.
John Law is a brilliant pianist with great talent.
By Sonia aged 10
On Monday 22nd of May 2017 we went to the Athenaeum and we went to see the piano player called John Law
playing the Goldberg Variations by JS Bach. It was in Bury St Edmunds and the piano player’s fingers moved really
fast.
The music made me feel tired and sleepy and the pictures were interesting. The best thing was the moving photos.
By Kellie aged 9
I could see patterns on the wall and the music was emotional, the lights were everywhere! I could also see zooming
fingers across the piano.
I could hear John Law playing the piano. The effect was funky yet repetitive. It also caught our attention. The pianist
was playing very fluently. I was feeling depressed and it made me feel sad.
By Liam aged 10
Creative Critics Project
John Law – Athenaeum – Monday 22nd May 2017
On Monday 22nd May, we went to the Athenaeum. The first thing I noticed was how old and dull the building was.
When we went in it looked quite posh. It also had seven really nice chandeliers where we sat down.
After we got seated in our comfy and grand seats we saw John Law come out and he started to set up his amazing
piano. He spoke and told us about all his 30 variations. The projection showed lights, stripes and different shapes.
This was played by the VJ.
Halfway through the lights changed and the video started playing. His hands were really fast on the piano.
The last song was played for about 10 minutes before John and the VJ came to get some applause. I could hear
strings and horns which made me want to go to sleep. The meaning was that it wanted to make people feel sleepy.
By Charlie aged 10
On Monday 22nd May 2017 we went to the Athenaeum to see John Law. When you walked in you could see a stage
with a grand piano on it. If you looked up you could see a chandelier. We sat down and the lights dimmed. He
started to play the grand piano and the projections came up on the screen.
The effect on me was that it was boring, but good at the same time because the person playing the piano was very
talented and fast. It was boring because on the screen it just played the same type of thing over and over again and
it was not very colourful.
I would recommend it if you like classical music but if you are a child, I don’t think you would like it much.
I would rate it 4 out of 5 stars because I am a child and other people have different tastes.
By Austin aged 10
Creative Critics Project
John Law – Athenaeum – Monday 22nd May 2017
On Monday 22nd May we went to the Athenaeum to watch John Law make music on a piano. He did four amazing
improvisations (amazing but a bit boring in my opinion) on a grand piano and he was really pressing the pedals and
playing notes. He was very professional with the piano and he loves jazz (I don’t like jazz though).
There was a projection on the screen which was an opening and there was a white circle, then black, then white,
black etc. Then there were variations (I was expecting 10, but there were 30!). The projector showed patterns for
some reason and there were just straight lines and circles. The VJ was in charge of it and it was very good. When
there was a last note there was no more black and white and it was yellow. After a closing piece we all applauded.
Finally, after an hour and a half, we were finished and went out into the old, posh building. I think to improve they
could make it shorter and more energetic.
Highly recommended for piano fans – 3 out of 5 stars in my opinion.
By Owen aged 10
Creative Critics Project
John Law – Athenaeum – Monday 22nd May 2017
I went to the Bury festival part 2 which was at the Athenaeum to see John Law plaay the piano.
They had 30 variations and John Law played along with the music. We had reserved seats on the front row!
There was a small screen and it came up with lines, squares and circles. When I was in there it was silent when John
Law played the piano but at the end there was loud clapping. The music was a mixture of loud, peaceful and calm
with some high and some low.
By Harrison aged 10
22nd May 2017 was the day I went to the Athenaeum to see John Law perform his jazz piano playing. Me and my
class arrived there by coach. We entered a rather big room, dimly lit and quite empty.
After a while of me talking to my friend, John Law finally came out and greeted us with some improvisations until the
opening.
The opening was a dark room and the screen was showing bright circles, dark, then blue, then bright again (you get
what I mean) with a calm (rather boring) slow piano in the background.
After the opening there were variations (30!) and two Arias. It was very boring with not a lot to do. I didn’t find it
interesting , although the skills John Law had were amazing.
Once it came to the closing, I was so happy. Well… I don’t want to be mean but I didn’t like it. I think it would have
been better if we had an actual video to watch or something to do.
There was applause and when I stood up it felt as if it was my first time walking. Although I hated it, it’s fine if you
liked it. I strongly recommend this performance to fans of classical music.
By Oliver aged 10
Creative Critics Project
John Law – Athenaeum – Monday 22nd May 2017
When I heard about the piano I was amazed and the music room was old. I could see a man, light a piano and a
crowd.
The man was playing the piano in silence. Also, I could hear loud banging and fast bits in the music.
The music was epically loud and the pictures were a bit surreal. It was bright and dead. It was really quick when John
Law was stamping with his feet.
By Rees aged 10
My class went to the Athenaeum which was a big, old building. We saw John Law playing the variations on the piano.
We entered the ball room and it was beautiful, especially the chandeliers. The playing was good and when he was
playing, he was moving. When he was playing, the pictures on the screens were changing colours. It went from
white, to black, to red and it was fantastic.
The music was powerful and extremely quiet. He is an expert and it made me feel sad and made me think about my
dog who died.
The seats were not comfy and some people felt sleepy. Some even fell asleep on the bus.
By Tegan aged 9
On Monday 22nd May 2017 Year 5 went on a trip to Bury St Edmunds. When they got there they put their Creative
Critics folder onto a table and went into the ballroom. They went to their seats and waited until the man playing the
piano came in. The piano player started and so did the VJ. He put pictures up on the projector. The pictures were in
black and white and they were like slides.
By Corey aged 10